The Proteus, the UK’s first truly autonomous full-size helicopter, flies as on the day it completed its maiden flight operating from Predannack airfield in Cornwall, England, on Jan. 16, 2026. Simon Pryor/Handout via Reuters
The British Royal Navy on Jan. 16 unveiled its first full-sized autonomous helicopter, named Proteus, designed to patrol the seas and conduct anti-submarine warfare missions.
The Royal Navy said in a statement that the Proteus Technology Demonstrator’s successful maiden flight delivers on the commitments of the U.K. government’s Strategic Defence Review, which set out plans for a “New Hybrid Navy” in which manned and autonomous systems operate together and patrol zones, including the North Atlantic.
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